


The Crest of Ambrosius

by clintbartonismyaesthetic



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Prince Merlin (Merlin), Reveal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2019-11-17 21:17:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18106643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clintbartonismyaesthetic/pseuds/clintbartonismyaesthetic
Summary: When a group of knights from a fallen kingdom request Arthur's help in taking it back, Merlin seems to know more than he should. What could he be hiding?Yeah, I know. Lame summary, PLUS it's been done before, but I thought why not?





	1. Prologue

Smoke burned his lungs as he ran through the smoldering corridor. Flames licked at his boots as he leapt over debris from the raging fire. Everywhere he looked he saw red. The red glow of flames eating away at everything he called home. The dark red blood spilled from his slaughtered friends and family. The bright, angry red of the rage simmering in his gut over the complete and utter injustice of it all. How ironic it seemed now that his kingdom’s colors were blue.

Angry shouts and the faint sounds of battle could be heard clashing through the halls, echoing off of the stone walls. Servants and nobles alike could be seen attempting to flee whatever death almost certainly awaited them. If not the smoke and flames, then surely the attacking army waiting outside.

“We must get the prince to safety!” A man in bloodied chainmail and a torn and tattered cloak directed the young man and the older woman with him, the Queen, into a small room off of the corridor.

“No! I want to fight!” the Prince argued, his loyalty to his people and kingdom overshadowing any logical thought.

“It’s too dangerous. You must leave and get to safety.” The man, one of the few knights remaining loyal to the crown, tried to reason with the Prince.

“But I can help!”

“Now is not the time. The citadel has already fallen, too many people have been lost. If we leave now, perhaps one day you can return and take it back. But for now we must flee. This way!” The knight lead the Prince and his mother to a secret passageway that would allow them to escape into the forest, undetected, miles away from the burning city.

“Hurry, we haven’t much time before they catch up to us.”

Just as the Queen, and then the Prince, scurried into the narrow corridor, men bearing the insignia of the attacking force barged into the room.

“You two go on! I’ll fend them off as long as I can!”

With that the knight slammed the passageway door shut and turned to face the enemy. The last thing the Prince heard before being propelled down the hall was the sound of swords clashing and the screams of dying men.

As the sounds of battle faded, so did the adrenaline coursing through his veins, and the young Prince, suddenly weak, stumbled, falling to his knees. The last thing he saw before everything began to fade was his mother’s weary blue eyes, filled with concern, hovering over him.

 

Merlin woke with a strangled yelp, sitting up in his poor excuse for a bed. After a few moments gasping, he noticed the tears running down his face. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped an arm around them, using his free hand to brush away the stray tears. It was then that he remembered what day it was. Resigning himself to a sleepless night, he leaned back against the wall and looked out the window at the sleeping city. In just a few hours, the morning would dawn and the now-empty streets would soon be filled with bustling people starting their day.

He reached up and started fiddling with the ever-present ring he kept hidden on a chain underneath his neckerchief. As his fingers brushed across the insignia stamped into the otherwise smooth metal, he dropped his head back against the wall, overcome by the grief that he felt. He didn’t even notice when new tears began to fall.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so the inspiration for this fic hit me at a weird time, but I decided to just roll with it. I'll only be updating when the inspiration hits again/when I have time. I'm a busy college student, so yay homework... :( But anyway, here's the first full chapter. Hope you guys like it! Fair warning: I am very bad at dialogue and banter, but I promise I am trying.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, only the plot and OCs of this story.
> 
> If you can't say something nice, keep it to yourself, but otherwise, I love reviews!

By the time dawn had broken, Merlin’s back had long since cramped and the cold from the stone he leaned against had seeped through his skin, seeming to penetrate down through his bones. Rolling his neck to try to relieve some of the building pressure, Merlin peered out the window at all the people beginning to scurry around the lower town. From this distance they appeared as ants, all rushing around, never stopping but to avoid crashing into each other.

 How similar it was to _home_ . All the people, going about their business, calling out to friends and neighbors, blissfully unaware of anything that could be wrong... but no, he wouldn’t do that to himself. Especially not today, not when he would be forced to remember _that night_...well that was bad enough. He needn’t add to it.

 He waited until it was a slightly more reasonable time before he decided to get up and dress himself for the day. Pulling his worn leather jacket on over his signature tunic and neckerchief, Merlin stumbled down the short stairs from his room into Gaius’ workspace. He quietly padded through the room to the door, which he, after a quick glance to make sure he hadn’t woken his surrogate father, slipped through and shut with a soft click.

 Making his way to the kitchens, Merlin passed few people, for which he was grateful. He wasn’t in the mood to be his normal, cheerful self, flashing a smile at and greeting nearly everyone he came across. He knew that, if he didn’t want to concern anyone, he would have to pretend to be his usual optimistic self, but for now, he was content to drown in his thoughts. So he did. Since he had been up early enough, he took his time, meandering through the quiet corridors, remembering what had happened that awful night, 7 years ago.

 All too soon, he reached the door to the kitchens. Swiping away the tears that had gathered at the thought of all he had lost, Merlin entered with the most cheerful grin he could muster. It wasn’t much, but it apparently passed enough for normal that no one stopped or questioned him. He quickly made his way through the bustling staff, careful not to knock into anything that could spill. He definitely did not want to get yelled at by Cook this morning.

 Grabbing the tray with Arthur’s breakfast, he maneuvered back out the way he came and hurried through the halls to the King’s chambers. Reaching his destination, Merlin nodded to the guards posted at either side of the doors and slipped inside. Setting the tray down on the table, he made his way over to the window, yanking the curtains open to let in the bright sunlight.

 “Rise and shine!” he called with false cheerfulness.

 “Mmph.” Arthur buried his face deeper into the pillow and turned away from the radiant light.

 “Come on, you have a busy day ahead of you.” Merlin shuffled back to the table and began to set out the various plates of food. When there was no response, Merlin sighed to himself, walked over to the bed, and gripped the comforter, preparing to rip it off of the young King. Mentally preparing himself, he inwardly counted to 3 and yanked the bedcovers back, jumping back to try and avoid the wrath of his master and friend.

 “MERLIN!” Arthur bellowed.

 “Well, if you’d get up when I tell you, I wouldn’t have to do that,” Merlin said defensively.

 “Merlin,” Arthur growled with a warning tone.

 “Prat,” Merlin muttered, turning away to begin cleaning up the mess that had once again taken over the young King’s chambers.

 Arthur looked around and grabbed the closest thing, a goblet left on his bedside table, and prepared to chuck it at his cheeky manservant’s head, when he was suddenly interrupted by a knock on his door. Dropping the goblet onto the bed and shooting one last glare at Merlin, he called out, “Enter!”

 Leon opened the door just as Merlin stopped his work long enough to chuck a shirt at Arthur before continuing to move around the room, picking up the various items strewn across the floor. He had to stifle a chuckle when Arthur retaliated by throwing the previously forgotten goblet at Merlin’s head. However, both knights were surprised when the usually clumsy servant caught the cup with a deft hand and merely added it to the basket he had been using to collect assorted items of clothing and cutlery. Shooting one more curious glance at the servant, Leon returned his attention to his King.

 “Sire, I apologize for disturbing you this early. However, there is an urgent matter for you to attend to. A group of men has arrived, seeking an audience with you. I think you may want to hear what they have to say; they seem quite urgent.”

 After a moment of consideration, Arthur answered, “Very well. I shall meet them in the throne room in half an hour. You had better call for the others; if their matter is as urgent as you say, whatever it is cannot bode well for us.” Arthur got up from the bed and began to put the shirt on, motioning for Merlin to stop his ministrations and come help him.

 “Yes, sire.” Leon gave a respectful nod and turned to leave. As he walked through the halls, he sent a servant ahead of him to go wake Elyan, Percival, and Gwen while he debated the whereabouts of Gwaine, who, no doubt, had made a spectacle of himself at the tavern again last night. Shaking his head and smiling to himself at the drunkard’s antics, the knight turned in the direction of the kitchens, already beginning to hear the faint sounds of Cook’s screeching at a certain someone for trying to sneak some food.

 As Merlin helped him get ready, Arthur couldn’t help but notice his friend’s silence. As much as he teased him and told him to shut up, he didn’t really mean it. Besides, Merlin was never quiet. There was always some kind of banter to fill the silence and Arthur found that he quite missed it now that it was gone. Upon further inspection, he noticed that Merlin’s usual grin was missing as well. Oh, he had a smile plastered on his face, but it wasn’t right. It wasn’t real. Furrowing his brow, Arthur opened his mouth to ask--

 “Be careful, _sire_. Wouldn’t want to hurt yourself by thinking too hard.”

 Arthur scowled before retorting, “Shut up, Merlin.” He paused for a moment, allowing his concern to soften his features. “I was just going to ask... are you feeling alright?”

 Merlin froze from his ministrations to glance at his friend. Was that... _concern_ in Arthur’s eyes?

 “I’m fine.”

 Arthur didn’t miss the slight darkening of Merlin’s eyes when he answered, but he decided to let it go. He knew how stubborn the man could be, especially when it came to talking about anything personal. Letting his skepticism bleed into his tone, he relented, “Alright. Come on then, I don’t want to be late.”

 Merlin could tell that Arthur didn’t really believe him, but since he wasn’t pressing the issue, he couldn’t really be bothered to care. As he followed his King through the halls, down to the throne room, he let his mind wander back to that night 7 years ago. He always wondered what had happened to the rest of his friends. He knew they were most likely dead as he hadn’t ever heard from them again, but he liked to think that they had somehow escaped. He really hoped that was the case for his older brother, Brenin.

It had certainly come as a shock to find his father still alive, living alone in a cave, but alas, he was killed just after Merlin had finally found him again. Before he died, he revealed the details of his escape, but he knew nothing of Brenin. _At least I got to see him one last time_ , Merlin reasoned with himself. _I can’t exactly say the same for Brenin or the others_.

 Before he could become too immersed in his thoughts, they arrived at the throne room. With one last glance at Merlin, Arthur motioned for the guards to open the doors. When Merlin followed his King inside, he could not quite stifle the sharp intake of air when he realized who the group of men waiting to see Arthur were.

 

_It couldn’t be. After all these years?_


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Sort of. And oh my god the response to this story has been amazing. I never expected to get any reviews or this many kudos, so thank you so much to everyone who's responded to this story! I'm so sorry it took me that long to get another chapter out. I've been super busy with school, but thankfully I'm done! Unfortunately, my computer crapped out on me in the middle of finals week, so I don't really have a way to update regularly without borrowing someone else's. I'm hoping to get a new computer soon, but I can't guarantee anything. So, for now, here's chapter 2! Not quite where I imagined it going, but hey, I'll roll with it.
> 
> IMPORTANT NOTE: I have updated this chapter as I was unhappy with how I originally wrote it. Please reread so that it will make sense later on since I changed the majority of it.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, only the plot and OCs of this story.
> 
> If you can't say something nice, keep it to yourself, but otherwise, I love reviews!

At the King’s entrance, the group of visitors looked up and then bowed their heads out of respect. Merlin ducked his head and scurried to the side of Arthur’s seat, hoping to remain as invisible as possible. After an incredulous glare at his manservant’s unusual behavior, Arthur returned his attention to the visiting knights.

“Welcome to Camelot. I am King Arthur and,” he gestured to Gwen, who was seated next to him, “this is my queen, Guinevere. May I ask why you have come here?”

A man who appeared to be the leader of the group stepped forward. He was dressed in a white tunic, brown pants, and worn boots, with only light chainmail, a sword at his hip, and a deep blue cloak with a dragon embroidered in silver near its clasp. He had unruly sandy brown hair and wise hazel eyes that almost glowed with a hidden determination. His companions were dressed similarly, though the resemblance ended there. The first man was older, with short black hair that was starting to go gray. He had a beard to match and soft gray eyes that sparkled with mischief. The second man was a bit younger, with reddish-brown hair and green eyes. He carried himself with an air of cockiness that rivaled Arthur’s. The last man was much younger than the other two. He had dark, curly hair and piercing blue eyes. The leader glanced back at the other three men before returning his gaze to that of the Camelotian King’s.

“Your Majesties.” He gave a small bow to Arthur and Gwen in turn, then straightened back up. “My name is Cai.” He gestured to the knights behind him. “This is Dristan, Alain, and Dynadin. We come with an urgent matter. We seek aid in reinstating the rightful heir to the throne in our kingdom.”

At the stranger’s voice, Merlin jerked his head up with a strangled noise. The knights glanced over at him, as this was unusual behavior even for Merlin. Gwaine tried to catch his eye but he only shook his head, refusing to move his gaze from the group of strangers. Gwen looked concerned and Arthur merely shot him another glare before turning his attention back to the man.

“And what kingdom would that be?” Arthur looked skeptical. There hadn’t been any recent uprisings in the neighboring kingdoms that he was aware of.

“I am sure you have heard of the kingdom of Dreócræft.” At Arthur’s nod, he continued, “Seven years ago on this very day, Dreócræft was taken over by a corrupt advisor and his followers. Many innocents were slain and the royal family was forced to flee. The King managed to escape the castle, but we know not where he fled nor if he even survived once he made it past the castle walls. The Queen and the younger Prince disappeared during the battle. No one knows for sure if they survived. And the elder Prince was able to escape with a small band of loyal knights and the hope to one day return to his home.”

After a moment’s pause, Arthur asked, “And how do you know for certain that the elder Prince has survived for this long? Did he send you here?”

The stranger chuckled and shared a look with the other men with him before turning back to Arthur, “I suppose you could say that, yes.” His face suddenly became serious. “I am aware that we are asking much from you, but we are reaching desperate times and must do all that we can to help the people of Dreócræft. That means defeating the false ruler and restoring the prince to the throne.”

Arthur paused in thought before answering, “I understand the need to restore the proper ruler to the throne far too well.” The mutiny of Morgana is not something easily forgotten. “However, I cannot blindly send my men to help you without taking some time to think this through. I shall take a few hours to discuss this with my council and will give you my answer this evening. You are welcome to wait here in the castle. My manservant, Merlin, will show you to some rooms where you can rest from your journey.”

“Thank you, my lord. Your kindness and hospitality is greatly appreciated. However, I cannot in good conscience allow you to make your decision without informing you of the nature of Dreócræft.” Arthur merely arched his eyebrow and, after a moment of hesitation, the stranger continued, “Dreócræft is a kingdom that embraces magic. Many of our citizens practice it, and the King and both Princes were born with it. We do not condone the use of magic for evil and have laws in place to help prevent the use of dark magic. I am aware that Camelot condemns the use of magic, but you are our only hope.”

As the stranger explained this, Arthur’s face began to harden. When he finished speaking, Arthur continued to stare at the man for a moment before responding, “I see. I appreciate your honesty. But as I said before, I will need to discuss this with my council before I make any decisions. Merlin, show them to the guest chambers.”

At the mention of his name, Merlin jerked his attention away from the visiting knights to stare at Arthur blankly before seeming to understand what was asked of him. He then scurried over to the strangers and said, “If you’ll follow me,” before leading them to the doors of the throne room.

After sharing another look of concern with his knights over Merlin’s odd behavior, Arthur called Gwaine over. “Go with him and make sure he’s okay. There’s something off about him today.”

“Sure thing, Princess.” Gwaine winked as Arthur glared, then ran to catch up with the wayward servant and group of knights.

Arthur then turned his attention back to his remaining knights. “We will have a meeting of the Round Table in one hour. I expect to see everyone there, so someone will have to collect Gwaine and Merlin from wherever they end up. Most likely the tavern.” He rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation.

 

 _Couldn’t they go one day without_ something _happening? Despite what he claims, Merlin is_ definitely _a trouble magnet._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? Thoughts? Love it, hate it, think it's just plain dumb? Let me know! Until next time!


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Finally! Oh my god it has been forever and I am so sorry. I started writing this chapter way back in June, but I never quite had the chance to sit down and finish it until now. On the bright side, I got a new computer! So it will be a lot easier for me to write whenever I'd like. However, I just started my second year of classes, so updates will still be kind of sporadic based on my schedule.  
> A couple more things before we get to the chapter itself: 1. Your reviews. Are. KILLING. Me. I love you all so much! When I first decided to post this story I would never have guessed that this many people would give a damn about my shitty writing. So thank you to every single person that left kudos or reviewed. Your support is what makes me stop being a lazy bum and at least try to write. 2. I am looking for a beta to help me with some of my writing. So if you are interested, please let me know! 
> 
> IMPORTANT NOTE: I updated the previous chapter as I was unhappy with how I originally wrote it. Please reread so that it will make sense since I changed the majority of it. For those of you that already read the updated version, please note that I am a dumbass and forgot to give my OCs names, so there has been another update.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, only the plot and OCs of this story.
> 
> If you can't say something nice, keep it to yourself, but otherwise, I love reviews!

As Gwaine caught up to Merlin and the foreign knights, he noticed how tense his friend seemed to be. Merlin had his shoulders hunched and his head down, seemingly playing the part of an obedient servant, however Gwaine knew better. Merlin was never one for formalities unless it was absolutely necessary. Something must be bothering him.

_Perhaps it’s because Dreócræft is a kingdom of magic_ , Gwaine thought. But that couldn’t be it. Merlin had been on many patrols that had, inevitably, come across some sorcerer with the oh-so-original idea to “destroy Arthur and return magic to Camelot” and he hadn’t even blinked, let alone cower like Arthur liked to claim. So it couldn’t be the magic. Something else must be bothering his friend. He’d have to ask him later, when he could corner him alone, but for now, he’d have to try to get Merlin to relax, maybe even smile.

“Merlin, have I ever told you about the time I challenged Percy to a drinking contest?”

When Merlin’s head raised ever so slightly in a show of curiosity, Gwaine took it as a sign to launch into his tale. By the time the group reached the guest chambers, the visiting knights were laughing along with Gwaine, and even Merlin managed a small smile. Seeing that his antics had seemed to slightly cheer his friend, Gwaine decided that his job was done, for now at least, and planned his getaway.

“Merlin, my friend, I do believe it is time for a drink. Come join me in the tavern when you finish up here.” And with that he slapped Merlin on the shoulder and turned to make his way to the tavern.

Shaking his head at the drunkard’s antics, Merlin turned back to the knights and led them through the doorway into the guest chambers. “Here we are. Is there anything I can get you sirs?”

“Merlin…” Cai tried to make eye contact with the younger man, but Merlin had his gaze set firmly on the floor. “Merlin, we know it’s you.”

When Merlin finally looked up, he found the group of knights staring at him. Despite their varying appearances, they all had one thing in common: a look of shock and of joy. He felt tears prick the corner of his eyes as he moved forward into the embrace of the sandy-haired knight.

“Cai.” He stepped back to look at the older man, then shifted his gaze to the other three men. “I feared I would never see you all again. I thought for sure that you all had perished in the ambush. Mother and I barely made it out alive. If it weren’t for Evrain…” Merlin trailed off.

“We know.” Dynadin stepped forward to clasp arms with Merlin. “He died an honorable death protecting his Prince and Queen.”

At this, Merlin shook his head. “I am no Prince, Sir Dynadin. At least not here I’m not. In Camelot I am just a servant.”

“But sire, how can you bear to serve such a pompous King when you yourself are royalty?” Alain stepped forward for his turn to greet the lost Prince. “Surely this work is below you.”

“Alain,” Dristan scolded before Merlin could respond. “Do you really think this was a position of choice? Not only must he hide from his traitorous uncle, but also be careful lest he be murdered for something he was born with. Life in Camelot does not bode well for a Prince of Dreócræft.”

At the mention of his uncle, a chill ran down Merlin’s spine. “Tell me, what all has happened in the seven years that I have been gone. You told Arthur that Brenin is alive. Is that true?” Merlin felt the faintest trickle of hope.

Dristan smiled. “Yes, sire. It is true. Your brother is alive and well, and he sent us to find you.”

Merlin couldn’t help the joyful laugh that bubbled from his throat. His brother was alive. After years of refusing to get his hopes up. _His brother was alive_.

“I can’t believe it. It’s more than I could have hoped for. All these years, believing everyone I ever cared for to have died…It’s almost like a dream.”

Cai stepped forward. “Sire, as joyous are we are to have found you, we must inquire as to what has happened since you escaped. There has been no sign of you or the Queen for 7 years and we merely happened across you by chance here.”

“Of course. There is much to tell you.” Merlin sighed before continuing. “But please refrain from the formalities. I never cared much for it 7 years ago and I still do not. And not to mention that it would sound suspicious to anyone that may pass by and hear.”

The knights smiled at their Prince’s continued disdain for propriety.

“Now, I am afraid that, as much as I want to stay and tell you everything, I really must go. Arthur will be calling for me any moment now for some ridiculous task. So for now, just stay here and rest. Another servant will be up soon with some food and drink. I’ll come back as soon as I am able.”

Dynadin nodded at his Prince’s request, for despite the fact that Merlin was their Prince, nothing he asked of them was ever really an order or command. “Of course, si--I mean, Merlin. We will await your return here.”

Merlin smiled at the younger knight’s near-mistake, then turned to go and find his prat-of-a-King.

As the Prince-turned-servant disappeared through the guest chamber doors, the group of knights could hear the faint bellow of “ _Merlin!_ ” echo throughout the corridor.


End file.
